ut two and two together, and make a shrewd guess.'

Stephen changed to a redder colour.

'Why, Smith,' said Knight, after holding him rigidly by the shoulders,
and keenly scrutinising his countenance for a minute in silence, 'you
have fallen in love.'

'Well--the fact is----'

'Now, out with it.' But seeing that Stephen looked rather distressed, he
changed to a kindly tone. 'Now Smith, my lad, you know me well enough by
this time, or you ought to; and you know very well that if you choose to
give me a detailed account of the phenomenon within you, I shall listen;
if you don't, I am the last man in the world to care to hear it.'

'I'll tell this much: I HAVE fallen in love, and I want to be MARRIED.'

Knight looked ominous as this passed Stephen's lips.

'Don't judge me before you have heard more,' cried Stephen anxiously,
seeing the change in his friend's countenance.

'I don't judge. Does your mother know about it?'

'Nothing definite.'

'Father?'

'No. But I'll tell you. The young person----'

'Come, that's dreadfully ungallant. But perhaps I understand the frame
of mind a little, so go on. Your sweetheart----'

'She is rather higher in the world than I am.'

'As it should be.'

'And her father won't hear of it, as I now stand.'

'Not an uncommon case.'

'And now comes what I want your advice upon. Something has happened at
her house which makes it out of the question for us to ask her father
again now. So we are keeping silent. In the meantime an architect in
India has just written to Mr. Hewby to ask whether he can find for him
a young assistant willing to go over to Bombay to prepare drawings for
work formerly done by the engineers. The salary he offers is 350 rupees
a month, or about 35 Pounds. Hewby has mentioned it to me, and I have
been to Dr. Wray, who says I shall acclimatise without much illness.
Now, would you go?'

'You mean to say, because it is a possible road to the young lady.'

'Yes; I was thinking I could go over and make a little money, and then
come back and ask for her. I have the option of practising for myself
after a year.'

'Would she be staunch?'

'Oh yes! For ever--to the end of her life!'

'How do you know?'

'Why, how do people know? Of course, she will.'

Knight leant back in his chair. 'Now, though I know her thoroughly as
she exists in your heart, Stephen, I don't know her in the flesh. All
I want to ask is, is this idea of going to India based entirely up